Studies & Degrees in Safety and Health
Safety and Health Study Programs
Safety and health, also called occupational health and safety (and, in Spain, prevención de riesgos laborales or PRL), is the field that deals with preventing accidents and illness caused by work. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University describes safety management as the proactive identification, assessment and mitigation of workplace hazards to safeguard the well-being of employees. Students learn to inspect workplaces, assess risks, measure exposure to noise, chemicals and other agents, design safe procedures, train staff and apply the law.
The subject draws on engineering, chemistry, medicine, psychology and law. In Spain the regulation divides the higher level into three technical specialities: safety at work, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics and applied psychosociology. Occupational medicine is a separate, medical speciality.
Qualifications and levels
How you qualify depends on the country, because each one regulates who may act as a safety practitioner.
- Spain. The Reglamento de los Servicios de Prevención (Royal Decree 39/1997) groups preventive functions into three levels. The basic level needs a course of at least 30 hours, or 50 hours for companies with the higher-risk activities listed in the decree. The intermediate level needs training of at least 300 hours. The higher level needs an official university degree plus university-accredited training of at least 600 hours, with one or more of the three specialities.
- Spanish master's programmes. Higher-level training is usually taken as a master's of 60 ECTS credits. Official master's degrees (máster universitario) have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits; the Universidad Católica de Valencia, for example, lists a Máster Universitario en Prevención de Riesgos Laborales of 60 ECTS credits, taught in Spanish in hybrid mode and starting on 15 October 2026. Other programmes are a Máster de Formación Permanente, the lifelong-learning master's that Royal Decree 822/2021 regulates separately, also with 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits: Bureau Veritas Business School offers one of 60 ECTS credits, fully online, awarded according to the school by the Universidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología. Before enrolling, ask the school which of the three specialities the programme covers and what recognition the qualification has.
- Short courses. Basic-level courses are widely offered online; Acedis Formación, for instance, lists one with an estimated duration of 60 hours and no entry requirements.
- United States. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, specialists typically need a bachelor's degree in occupational health and safety or a related field, while technicians may hold an associate's degree or certificate that takes two years or less. The Bachelor of Science in Safety Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has 121 credits.
- United Kingdom. Professional certificates are common. The NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety is assessed in two steps: an open book examination and a practical risk assessment of three hours.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 54 active schools for safety and health. Most are in Spain (39), followed by the United States (9) and Australia (2); the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and Bolivia have one each.
In Spain the list includes public universities such as the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad de Granada, the Universidad de Almería and the Universidad de Huelva, private universities such as the Universidad Católica de Valencia, the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), the Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio and the Universidad Camilo José Cela, and the online Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Distance-learning providers such as IMF Business School, Bureau Veritas Business School, SEAS and Acedis Formación are also listed. In the United States the list includes Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, National University and SUNY Buffalo State University.
Programmes follow national law, so they are taught in the language of the country: Spanish in Spain, English in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. A qualification that gives access to the profession in one country does not automatically do so in another.
Careers
Graduates work as safety officers or prevention technicians inside companies, in external prevention services and consultancies, in public inspection bodies and in insurance. In Spain every employer must guarantee that each worker receives sufficient and adequate training in prevention, which creates steady demand for qualified staff and trainers.
In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of occupational health and safety specialists and technicians to grow 19 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. The largest employers of specialists in 2025 were government (18 percent), manufacturing (17 percent) and construction (17 percent). The Bureau adds that employers may prefer or require professional certification.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to work as a higher-level prevention technician in Spain?
Royal Decree 39/1997 requires an official university degree and university-accredited training of at least 600 hours that follows the programme set out in the decree. Most people obtain it through a master's in prevención de riesgos laborales.
How long does a master's in occupational risk prevention take?
The programmes cited here have 60 ECTS credits, which corresponds to one academic year of full-time study. Official master's degrees in Spain can have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
Can I study safety and health online?
Yes. Many of the Spanish providers listed teach online or in hybrid mode, and Embry-Riddle offers its bachelor's degree through its Worldwide and Online campus. Check how practical work and assessments are organised.
Is a Spanish qualification valid in other countries?
Not automatically. The three Spanish levels are defined by Spanish regulation; other countries have their own rules and certificates, so ask the authority or professional body of the country where you want to work.